Karma
by witchfingers
Summary: [AU, present day] Karma means destiny. And you don't have to believe in it for it to be real. [EnvyEdWinryRoyRiza]
1. Karma: The meeting

_Disclaimer: I don't own FMA, Hiromu Arakawa does. Can anyone tell me if Arakawa-sensei is a man or a woman?_

**_"The Conqueror of Shambala" would be the name of the manga both Ed and Envy read, it would be the equivalent of FMA... I didn't use FullMetal Alchemist because well, I couldn't have the same characters of the manga walking around... I don't know if you follow me :P..._**

**_'Avalon', the name of the anime store, is a cheap copy of Camelot, if anyone reading this is from Argentina._**

**Chapter one: Karma: The meeting_

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_ **

Whistling low, a seemingly cheery boy strolled down the street. He was wearing all black. On the back of his sweater, a red picture of a snake devouring its tail stood out.

This person was called Envy, the picture was the ouroboros, and he was one of the many teens who obsessed over anything anime/manga. Like many others, he was following with religious regularity, a series called "The Conqueror of Shambala", and he was eager to buy the next volume, which had just been released.

The store which sold those was on the other edge of town for Envy, but that wasn't about to stop him. He could be quite bitchy when it came to things he wanted. The problem was, that Envy was more broken than the cracks on the pavement, so he usually had to ask for money borrowed, and this time, everyone had been reluctant to lend him a coin. No wonder, he never paid back.

He shrugged off the money matter. He bought so often at that store, surely for once the cranky owner would let him pay with some days of delay.

He had to hurry his pace if he wanted to get there before the store closed.

It was about seven thirty p.m. when he got there, happy to see that the usually never-ending queue of rabid otakus was almost non-existent. Of course, it was because the shop, 'Avalon', would have been closed if it weren't for a short blonde arguing with the assistant.

Envy waited for a while before asking for his so-waited-for manga issue. The blonde kid looked scary, like he could bite.

'Listen to me, retard, I want that goddamn manga thing!' he yelled.

The assistant didn't lose his cool one bit, he even seemed as if he were tainting the short one. 'You didn't say please, so no. And besides, there's another customer right behind you, so if you would please move aside...'

The short, braided blonde muttered deadly threats lowly and took one step to the side, to make room for the "customer". It took some seconds of silence until it dawned on Envy that they were talking about him. 'Oh, oh..' he said as an excuse, and asked the shop assistant for 'The latest volume of The Conqueror of Shambala'

The assistant gave a nasty side-smirk to the short kid, and handed the manga to Envy, in slow motion so that the kid, who obviously wanted the same thing, would suffer.

'It's ten dollars'

Envy reached for the bottom of his pocket, and pulled out an old, ragged note. Sweatdropping, he handed it to the annoying annoyed assistant, who said, 'I think I said ten, not two.'

'Would you mind if---'

'No way. I'm not about to break the rule of the shop for your sake, boy. There's a notice there, see? We don't make those just for fun' he said, pointing to a big sign that said "We don't sell for credit."

Envy gritted his teeth. 'Are you new here or what? I come here every single month! It's not like I'm not going to pay!'.

'No money no manga'

'Why you...'

The short one interrupted Envy, to talk to the assistant. 'Hey you shthead, my way! I have the money, won't you get it through your thick skull!'

'I don't really care about you you know'

'Out of the way pipsqueak' Envy said, glaring daggers at the assistant, who looked on with a disgusting air of superiority from behind the counter.

'WHO ARE YOU CALLING A PARAMECIUM-SIZED PIPSQUEAK WHO YOU COULD STEP ON AND NEVER NOTICE?'

'Hey hey, no need to get violent shorty! I don't wanna fight or anything...'

'WHO ARE YOU CALLING A SHORTY...!'

The assistant shrugged and sighed to himself, and before Envy or the short blonde boy could complain, he shoved both of them out, flipped the "OPEN" sign to "CLOSED", and shut the door before their very noses.

'Bstard' Envy hissed.

'That guy is a pain in the $$!' the short blonde guy complaint.

'Yeah' Envy said. 'That attitude of his will cost him dearly... someday...'

'BTW, I'm Envy, you are...' he said, extending a half-gloved hand to the short one. He didn't find a particular need to be in bad terms with the quick-tempered kid. Of course, he didn't mean he _wanted _to be in _good terms _with him.

I'll sum up saying that Envy just didn't like to fight.

The short one hesitated. The snakelike eyes, the wild hair, the pale skin, the odd, disdainful smile that tugged at his lips... he was sure he didn't like Envy. But he shook the hand he was offering, nonetheless.

'I'm Edward. Ed, if you like better.' he said. And then added, just because, 'That guy in the shop, he's been working only for a week and already thinks he's the owner of the world.'

Envy smiled slightly. 'Yeah, I figured as much.'

'The bstard went as far as to tell me all his private life while I tried to convince him to give me the stuff! And I'd been waiting since four to get it... god I hate him... _so much_.'

'Really...' Envy said, not paying much attention. He noticed both of them were walking in the same direction.

'So you too have to walk to get here?' he commented.

'Yeah, it's to go to hell and come back each time, and that good-for-nothing soldier wannabe keeps irritating me!'

Envy kept that mysterious, disdainful smirk of his. 'Soldier wannabe you say?'

'A womanizer, perverted soldier wannabe. If you'd just listened to what he told me!' Ed seemed to shiver. Envy's anger faded into amusement. He had discovered that Ed, who he thought to be a kid, really was around his age. That was good, because he didn't stand kids for long. No, he didn't stand kids _at all._

But on the other hand, this boy... he made him just... want to annoy him. But he made an effort and resisted the temptation. He had better plans. Plans that included this Edward person walking next to him.

And a... shop assistant.

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_First chapter! Woo XD I'll update tomorrow, or the day after tomorrow, depending on how many reviews I get. XD_


	2. Karma: The plotting

_No comments before this starts. Read on. Review._

**Karma: The plotting

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**

It was late, and he still had a long way to walk back to his house.

It was surprising to him, how easily Ed had given into his well-carved plans of... revenge.

As if people had the right to mess with Envy and come out unharmed of it! He liked to think of himself as if he were above normal people, not that he really was, but, either way, there were some unusual characteristics about him that made him _different_.

His eyes, his hair, his skin. Basically, the things that had made Edward feel some rejection towards him. The slit, catlike pupils, in the lavender, snakelike eyes... the sickeningly pale skin, the ever-cold flesh, and the thing that made him definitely unique, the birthmark on his left thigh, in form of the snake that devours its own tail, the _ouroboros_. It was above all coincidence, and he was sure it made him especial, in some way. That had almost become his personal mark.

Any doubt? You only had to check the back of his sweater. It was pretty clear there.

The way home... He chuckled to himself. The cold air bit like ice, but he found it comforting. He could be there soon if he wanted, but he decided to relax and make it the long way. He had a lot of things to enjoy, after all, it was a nice, clear night. There were many stars up there.

The treetops went from here to there, like swimming in the chilly breeze. Envy felt the familiar feeling of hunger in the pit of his stomach.

'Ohh geez, I'd forgotten about dinner!' he complaint to the night- 'Why do these things happen to me?' Envy would have loved to go back to warm food, a warm house, but it was kind of utopist for him.

There was already in the distance that lonely, dark house of his. On the door it had engraved a small ouroboros, and almost by the work of magic, no one approached it but him, and his old, wrinkled landlady.

It added a touch of mystery to his life, and he was charmed by it, he simply loved it.

After a cold meal that included leftovers from previous days, or even weeks, he went to bed.

Envy's eyes had dark bags under them, but that had become normal with the time. It's just that for people unfamiliarized with him could be quite a contrast at first, because his skin was unnaturally pale.

Envy couldn't feel especially proud of that, since many people would close the doors of their stores in his noses saying that drug-addicts were not allowed to enter. He would growl then, because he wasn't on drugs, because he didn't need them... and he couldn't afford them. Of course he had a selection of shops and places where his looks didn't matter, and that cyber-cafe was one of them. The owner, a bony hippie woman in her late thirties who had a liking for wearing exotic shades, had a thing for Envy, who she called the "rebel snake", according to her annoying habit of giving strange names to her usual customers. She herself was supposedly called "Bird of the water"... but Envy resorted to calling her 'Sloth', because he knew that even if she smiled, she didn't like that name at all.

Back to our story, not that Sloth cared, because she felt that everyone who was below her age needed her, and had that motherly air around her that finally ended persuading everyone to accept their new 'natural' names. Yes, even Envy had gotten used to it and had resigned fighting it off.

'Hey Sloth, I need a computer.'

'Of course Rebel Snake, take number three.' she said with her usual calm but knowing voice. 'I have bought a book about ancient Alchemy, brother Snake, and it talked a lot about that symbol of yours' she motioned towards the red snake printed on his sweatshirt, and started describing its magical and alchemical purposes.

'Oh' he answered absentmindedly, at the time he thought '_Why am I listening to this bullsht?_'

'...And so I concluded that it has a strong connection with the energies in the earth, and I decided to have it tattooed here to give me positive vibrations ' she finished, moving aside her flowing white shirt, and revealing a small maroon ouroboros in the left side of her upper chest.

Envy's jaw dropped. 'Woah woah wait a second, first you tell me that my personal, totally original and in no way copied symbol _already existed_, and then you decided to have it _tattooed_?'

Sloth smiled behind her electric pink glasses 'Doesn't it look groovy?'

He suppressed a growl, and refrained himself from saying 'no it doesn't'. Sloth didn't charge him for using her computers, after all.

'Dunno' he muttered, still quite upset, and headed for the computer.

_OuroborosMaster has logged in._

FullMetalAlchemist: Envy? Finally.

OuroborosMaster: I couldn't come any sooner, shrimp. Onto the business now.

FullMetalAlchemist: WHO ARE U CALLING A SHRIMP?

OuroborosMaster: Fck that trauma, I have things 2 do.

FullMetalAlchemist: Grrr. So yeah, now what?

OuroborosMaster: You know that guy better than I.

FullMetalAlchemist: U mean u came up with the plan and u have no idea what to do?

OuroborosMaster: I know exactly what to do, mind you.

FullMetalAlchemist: Soooo?

OuroborosMaster: We're in serious need of personal information and I know you have that...

FullMetalAlchemist: hey hey this is starting to sound dangerous, I only want to get back at him for being such an $$...

OuroborosMaster: That's what we're about to do, thought you had already figured that out.

FullMetalAlchemist: whatever, I mean I don't want him dead or something

OuroborosMaster: U think I'm some kind of mafia or what, shrimp?

FullMetalAlchemist: Dunno. So now what u need to know palm-tree head?

OuroborosMaster: Palm tree head! --

FullMetalAlchemist: You call me (shrimp) I call you that. So what?

OuroborosMaster: Stop beating around the bush. We can toy with the bstard's mind, that wouldn't be a great deal.

FullMetalAlchemist: u crazy?

OuroborosMaster: then let's just mess his love life and the thing's done with.

FullMetalAlchemist: now that's another thing.

OuroborosMaster: good. Where do we start?

FullMetalAlchemist: Dunno, the guy's a charmer y'know. There's no one who resists him, apparently.

OuroborosMaster: Apparently...?

FullMetalAlchemist: Yeah, there's this girl who would always keep his unending fountain of compliments effectively shut.

OuroborosMaster: well, that's it.

FullMetalAlchemist: what? you say we make him fall in love with the one girl he'll never have? that's a waste of time.

OuroborosMaster: any better plan? Wouldn't that make him suffer dearly?

FullMetalAlchemist: That b+stard? Ha, you've not been with him for more than five minutes right? He thinks of girls as conquests and he'll think of that as a challenge.

OuroborosMaster: A challenge he will have to look from afar. Don't you know about what they call _monster envy_?

FullMetalAlchemist: don't be so egocentric, don't think that the guy will go kill someone because he feels envious.

OuroborosMaster: heh. do you really think so?

FullMetalAlchemist: positive.

OuroborosMaster: well then, any better plan?

FullMetalAlchemist: I'm thinking dammit!

OuroborosMaster: Oh I know, I know! You go and beat the hell out of him. Oh, but you can't even reach his shoulders, so I think you'll be needing stilts, FullMetalAlchemist.

FullMetalAlchemist: ARE YOU IMPLYING THAT I'M SHORT, YOU OVERGROWN CROSSOVER OF PALM TREE AND LIZARD?.

OuroborosMaster: Chill and think, toldja I don't have much time.

FullMetalAlchemist: BUT IF YOU'RE THE ONE WHO'S BEEN ANNOYING!

OuroborosMaster: short-tempered aren't we?

FullMetalAlchemist: SHUT UP!

OuroborosMaster:...

FullMetalAlchemist: I'm seriously starting to hate you.

OuroborosMaster: So well...

FullMetalAlchemist: Ok, ok, I can't think of anything better, HAPPY? We'll do what you said. I only want to know how snickers

OuroborosMaster: Do you know that one girl you were talking about?

FullMetalAlchemist: That's right, her name's Riza Hawk-something...

OuroborosMaster: _Good. Now I need you to tell me...

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_

_Sorry, not a good ending sentence. But as no one reads this thing, or at least no one reviews, I don't think that matters much- to think I was so happy thinking that with this story I would get more than 8 reviews which is my max in all my 21 fics..._

_How about you guys feel sorry for me and drop at least a little tiny weeny review...?_


	3. Karma: The doing

_**Ok, the other 2 chappies weren't much of a success, but I have great hopes for this one!**_

**Karma: The doing

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**

'You're late, you know that' Ed said, when Envy was near enough to hear him. Envy's brow frowned, and he parted his lips enough for Ed to see he was exasperated. In spite of that, he made an impatient movement with his hand, and his mouth curved into his characteristic mocking smirk.

'So tell me _Ed_, where is she?' he asked, getting himself comfortable in the bench next to the blonde, who inched away from him. 'Oh please...' he snorted, 'Like I'd try anything funny here in the middle of the park'

Ed swallowed, disgusted. 'Argh, are you saying that if we were in another place you would?'

Envy laughed quietly. 'I don't think so, you're not my type'. He saw with amusement how Ed's face paled. He could have sworn that if he pushed the matter a little further, the shrimp would puke and run away like a scared kid, at least by what his face said.

Envy broke into twisted laughter. 'I'm not of that kind, shrimp, don't look like you're gonna throw up.' His face went serious. 'Though if you do, don't do it on _me_...'... and then he started laughing again, patting Ed's back.

Ed swallowed again, hard, shivering at the thought of, '_What have I gotten myself into...?_'

His laughter gradually faded away, and somehow that afternoon both of them were alone in the park. 'There she comes' said Ed, with a frustrated look momentarily passing through his face.

'That's good' Envy said with his odd sarcastic beam, and then said, as if he were commenting on the weather, 'Hey, have you heard about what happened yesterday?'

The blonde woman in military clothing was coming near, and their 'plan' was going on perfectly, perhaps because, being them the only current inhabitants of the green space, the woman -Riza Hawk_eye_ as Ed had corrected himself the previous day- would forcedly have to listen.

'No, what are you talking about?' Ed asked, looking at a passing cloud up in the blue sky, as if that was the most interesting thing in the entire world.

'Mayor Roy Mustang, didn't you hear about it? There was a big mess'

'No clue what you're talking about- but Mustang's the one who works at that comic store, right?'

'The same-' the conversation was going on without any delay, and what they said would go straight into Hawkeye's ears. '- it appears that last night he went out with some date, and she's gotten the guy into all kind of messes. You'd have heard the accusations, they were anything from rape to bad jokes.'

That was it. The woman stopped for mere seconds, but not Envy nor Ed failed to catch that subtle reaction to the lizard-resembling teen's words.

Back to focusing on his hatred for the shopkeeper, that by this instance we all know was no other than Roy Mustang, Ed said, 'Well, _first _part is done. Now for the second one...'

'Sorry man, couldn't come any earlier. And I didn't want Winry to think... well, whatever it is that girls think.'

'Winry' Envy said, making sure he wouldn't forget that name. 'The mechanic that lives next door...' Ed added, as he saw Envy throw a meaningful lifted-eyebrows-look his way.

'Whatever' the palm-tree head responded, not even looking at him. 'Now, shoosh. We'll screw everything if they hear us.'

'Yeah, you're right' Edward said, prying off the semi-gloved hand that Envy had slapped over his mouth to keep him shut. Ed checked Envy's profile. His features were sharp and bony, and if he hadn't resembled so much a reptile, Ed would have said there was a sort of vicious look to his face, much like a wolf's. Both of them waited, crouched, behind some bushes. A man stood alone in the middle of the park, holding expectant a gorgeous bouquet of white roses. From where Envy and Ed were, they were not able to hear what was going on, but with just seeing it, it was enough. The blonde woman of the day before, Riza, walked forward out of nowhere and slapped the man, Roy, who in his shock let the bouquet fall to the floor, where it remaint for a long time until he managed to tear off his eyes from the spot where Riza had disappeared from his view.

He picked the flowers up, and dumped them into a nearby garbage tin, then walked away as if he'd suffered the hardest blow in his entire life.

'That was so goddamn _easy_' Envy said with joy, and Ed nodded. Envy looked delighted with the fact that everything had gone according to their -_his_- plan, but Ed gradually felt the feeling of guilt surging from the pit of his stomach.

'You know, Envy...' he said, after both had stood up, 'It was... uh, good to do this, but the result was too unexpected...'

'Hah, who gives a bloody care? We only sent some postcards and flowers, his life won't be ruined with that only. _Come on!_' Envy said, with a smirk that dripped malice, 'She _can't_ have meant so much to him.'

'You have no idea' Ed muttered. Both of them shook hands.

'Perhaps in the future our paths will cross again' Ed said, his voice sounding too cryptic to truly mean what he was saying.

'Who knows, FullMetal pipsqueak, who knows...'

Ed would have killed Envy, but he was already walking again. He waved off with his back turned to Ed. Both of them were walking different paths, and Ed knew they wouldn't walk the same one again.

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_Not the end! There's still one more chapter! Pleeeease review and make me know what you think so far...!_


	4. Karma: The parting

_**This is the last chapter. I'd like a fic about the S.I.N. organization- but I don't have time. If any of you want the idea to start a new story, ask me for permission and the idea is yours .**_

**Karma: The parting

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**

'Ed? Ed, are you alright?' a blonde girl asked, concerned.

'That's right brother, you don't look too well...' Ed's brother -Al- added.

'I'm just feeling awfully tired, that's all.'

'Oh, and brother, I went to the anime store today and bought you the volume of The Conqueror that you so wanted. The shopkeeper looked so horrible he almost forgot to charge me the 10 dollars. It's ok, don't give them back. I left it on your bed'. Al said. Ed made his best to look happy about it, and muttered a thanks to his brother.

Winry, the girl, grabbed him by his sleeve and flipped him around just before he reached the stairs. 'Just tell me' she said, 'Where have you been until now.'

Edward put his hand to his forehead, and with a defeated sigh, he murmured, 'Ruining someone's life.' He went up to his room almost dragging his feet, while Winry and Al exchanged confused and worried looks. He felt horrible, and most of all, he felt guilty.

_Ed threw himself on the bed, and with a barely audible voice, said 'Fuck you and your plan, Envy.'_

He was welcomed, or un-welcomed, for that matter, into the dimly-lit bar by a sharkish grin, that he distinguished before clearly seeing the man who owned it.

'Hey Envy, back to the old lair, eh?' the owner greeted dryly, with the sarcastic grin plastered onto his face, almost like a sticker.

Envy wrinkled his nose, not returning the hand the man was offering. 'This place stinks of liquor since years, did you know that'

'Fully aware. But as you seem to dislike my place so much, then may I ask why you bothered to come down here?'

Envy scoffed at the light conversational tone of voice of the owner of the pub by the name 'Devil's Nest'. Of course there was much more to that man than what met the eye, and through years of being involved with him, Envy had finally come to know him as Greed.

'I need work, Greed.' he said, matter-of-factly, while he made himself comfortable on a couch.

'Doesn't your little Lust love you still the same?' the man of the shark smile asked, taunting him. 'I broke up with her a long time ago' Envy said, shrinking his shoulders. 'I've decided I'd come back into the business. So yeah' he went on, ignoring Greed's mocking look, 'Talk fast, say yes or no and I'm gone.'

'Well, there _is_ one little job you could use...'

Envy's closed eyes half opened lazily, and he looked at the man standing in front of him with an amused look. 'As if the Black Market wasn't in need of... staff.'

'You got me' said Greed, failing in looking the least concerned- 'There is one little job I need to get done, for myself. Screw the Black Market'

'If I were you, I wouldn't say _that _so loud.' Envy said with a sneer.

'If I were you' said Greed, with a sneer even nastier, 'I would shut up and cooperate, unless I wanted to live for the rest of my life as a fucked up brat... gone bankrupt.'

'Why you...' Envy started, his features contorted in anger. But he stopped, because he realized he really needed the job Greed was offering him.

'You wouldn't even scare my fluffy bunny slippers.' Envy mused. Greed quirked an eyebrow.

Envy took his hand to his brow and rubbed it a couple of times, annoyed. 'You moronic idiot, I _don't _have fluffy bunny slippers.' he shot a murderous glare at the man who replied with one of his famous shark-smiles.

'You're not my only possibility to get a job.'

'Are you sure?' Greed asked with a bothering suave tinge to his voice. 'Look at yourself, think for some minutes and then you tell me, master of the Ouroboros.'

Envy gritted his teeth, Greed was right. It was not like he had a choice. And him using his code-name, like he had already accepted the little job/mission wasn't helping, either.

So, Envy accepted Greed's offer.

The 'little job' consisted in carrying some documents of vital importance to an undercover anarchist organization that had its base under the heart of the city itself. It was called the S.I.N. organization, and it was ruled by an apparently ever-changing woman by the controversial name of Dante, who was an expert genetist and, according to the darkest rumors, had mastered the art of manipulating human genes.

_Later on, Envy would end up forming part of that vicious entity, and would be known as the vilest of the Great, or Seven S.I.N.s._

But that's another story.

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**_I soooo hate I couldn't come up with a better ending phrase_!**

**Sooo...? Liked? The end is a bit angsty, but it wasn't suppossed to be! Grrr I said to myself "I'm going to write something non angst", but I can't! My characters never get to be that happy. Is it something I did that makes me deserve angst only? _I hate you for that, Destiny..._ Oh, nevermind, review, it always makes me feel better!**


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